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Structure and performance of the transport and storage industry

The major source for the statistics in this section is the Economic Activity Survey of employing businesses conducted by the ABS. Businesses in this collection are classified on the basis of their predominant activity, using the 1993 version of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC).

In 2000-01 the transport and storage industry employed 325,575 persons in 29,526 operating businesses (table 22.3). These businesses generated $60,379m in goods and services sales, and had a net worth of $26,686m. Capital expenditure for the period was $5,759m.

The road transport sector accounted for 44% (143,631 people) of total transport and storage industry employment, followed by services to transport with 24%. Rail transport accounted for 10% of total employment in 2000-01. Road transport had the highest number of operating businesses (21,808), while the rail transport sector had the largest net worth ($8,432m). Other transport and storage (which includes pipelines, grain storage, and transport and storage n.e.c.) had the highest amount of sales of goods and services ($21,557m) and the largest capital expenditure ($2,352m).

Total operating income for the transport and storage industry in 2000-01 was $72,622m (table 22.4). Total operating expenses were $69,573m, while operating profit before tax was $3,048m. Road transport was the largest component with 33% of the industry's total operating income, 32% of total operating expenses, and 54% of operating profit before tax.

(a) Estimates are obtained using a combination of data from the Economic Activity Survey and business income tax data for non-employing businesses provided to the Australian Taxation Office.

Source: Australian Industry, 2000-01 (8155.0).

The free-on-board value of passenger motor vehicle exports grew from $1,919m for the 12 months ended June 2000 to $2,932m for the corresponding period in 2004 (table 22.5). The value of all road vehicle exports rose from $2,809m for the 12 months ended June 2000 to $4,161m in 2004. In the 12 months ended June 2004 the value of railway vehicle exports was $34m, while aircraft exports totalled $277m. After reaching $1,323m for the 12 months ended June 2002, shipping exports fell to $687m (a decrease of 48%) for the 12 months ended June 2004.

22.5 VALUE OF MERCHANDISE EXPORTS(a) - 12 months ended June

Passenger motor
vehicles(b)

All road
vehicles

Railway
vehicles(c)

Ships(d)

Aircraft(e)

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

2000

1,919

2,809

33

587

1,051

2001

2,737

3,841

42

611

546

2002

2,996

4,293

50

1,323

487

2003

2,796

4,180

33

1,269

711

2004

2,932

4,161

34

687

277

(a) The value of goods measured on a free-on-board basis includes all production and other costs incurred up until the goods are placed on board the international carrier for export. The values exclude international insurance and transport costs. They include the value of the outside packaging in which the product is wrapped, but do not include the value of the international freight containers used for transporting the goods.(b) Vehicles principally designed to transport people. Excludes public transport-type vehicles. Includes racing cars.(c) Includes associated equipment and hovertrains.(d) Includes boats, hovercraft and floating structures.(e) Includes associated equipment, spacecraft and spacecraft launch vehicles, and satellites.

Source: International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (5368.0).

In 2002 the average number of vehicles produced per employee in Australia was 16.8 (table 22.6). This compares with 15.8 in 1995. The highest level of productivity per employee occurred in 2000, with 17.7 vehicles being produced per employee. The highest average production value per employee occurred in 2001 with a value of $422,051 per employee.

22.6 LOCAL VEHICLE PRODUCER LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY

Production
volume(a)

Production
value(b)

Employment(c)

Average vehicles
produced per employee

Average production value per employee

Units

$b

no.

no.

$

1995

312,908

7.10

19,754

15.8

359,168

1996

325,631

7.11

20,213

16.1

351,818

1997

319,266

7.23

20,540

15.5

351,753

1998(d)

353,892

8.18

22,371

15.8

365,563

1999

347,823

8.18

21,394

16.3

382,116

2000

359,686

7.74

20,378

17.7

379,939

2001

347,174

7.97

19,975

17.5

422,051

2002

359,751

7.99

20,914

16.8

390,177

(a) Production volumes include completely knocked down vehicles for export.(b) Production values are in nominal prices.(c) Includes production and non-production employees.(d) Employees of the former Holden Engine Company are included from 1998 onwards.

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